This invention relates to a connector device for connecting an IC (integrated circuit) card to a reading and/or writing apparatus.
In general, the IC card comprises principal elements including a card-like body formed of a resin, a semiconductor integrated circuit embedded in the body, and a plurality of, for example, eight contacts provided on a front side of the body. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a PROM (programmable read only memory) and a CPU (central processing unit).
When electrically connected to the IC card, the reading and/or writing apparatus reads out information stored in the PROM of the IC card, and/or writes information to the PROM.
A connector device for electrically connecting the IC card to the reading and/or writing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-167076. The connector device has an insertion opening provided in a casing. As the IC card is inserted into the connector device through the insertion opening, a limit switch arranged adjacent the insertion opening detects insertion of the IC card to drive a motor. As the motor is driven, a pair of rollers drivingly connected to the motor and arranged adjacent the insertion opening are rotated to feed the IC card inwardly of the connector device. During transportation, the IC card moves while being guided by guide means. A second limit switch is arranged at the terminating end of a transport path for the IC card, defined by the guide means. The second limit switch detects that the IC card reaches the terminating end of the transport path, to output a signal. The motor is stopped in driving in response to the signal from the second limit switch, so that the IC card is stopped in movement. At a point of time substantially the same as that the motor is stopped, a contact-probe head arranged above the transport path is moved downwardly so that a plurality of contact probes supported by the contact-probe head are brought respectively into contact with the contacts on the IC card. With the contact probes maintained in contact with the contacts on the IC card, reading-out and/or writing are/is executed by the reading and/or writing apparatus. Thereafter, the contact-probe head is moved upwardly away from the IC card. Subsequently, the motor is rotated in reverse to return the IC card toward the insertion opening.
In the connector device described above, a mechanism for moving the contact-probe head vertically is composed of a spring biasing the contact-probe head upwardly and a solenoid for moving the contact-probe head downwardly against the biasing force of the spring. The arrangement is such that when the solenoid is energized, the contact-probe head is moved downwardly against the biasing force of the spring, while when the solenoid is deenergized, the contact-probe head is moved upwardly under the biasing force of the spring.
In the connector device constructed as above, it takes a relatively long time from the point of time the IC card is inserted through the insertion opening to the point of time the contact probes are brought into contact with the contacts on the IC card. This is because transportation of the IC card and downward movement of the contact-probe head must take place independently of each other in a step by step manner.
Further, since the contact-probe head is moved downwardly rapidly under the magnetic force of the solenoid to bring the contact probes into contact with the contacts on the IC card, the contact probes collide strongly against the contacts on the IC card, resulting in such problems that damages or wear occur on both the contact probes and the contacts on the IC card.